[edited] please beware of this artist, Pollypuma

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

 How should i approach an artist that is obviously having an attitude with a client?

I paid for an item with shipping and i got this back a while ago

" Could you please send me your address? I will try to ship your product soon. We have to come up with 200 or the power company will shut us off. So i might have to wait to ship until my Veterans check comes in if thats okay. Its a measly 123 each month but it comes on the first. If you need your product before then i can ship it, but we may need the extra money this month to cover the cost of the electricity. Its up to you what you choose. Thank you for your business and support of  ********."

So okay, i was in no hurry. A bit annoyed, but i could wait. I sent them my address and told them i was okay with it.

That was over a week ago and i asked again about shipping and here is our conversation

Them: need your address.

Me: i gave it to you twice 8/ *insert address*
(i realize now i gave it to them once, but i had still given it to them. previously. But whatever, that was okay, a bit annoying but okay.)

Them: This is the first time I have received your address, and i had sent you a note saying that i didnt get paid until the first you then sent me one back saying that would be fine.
But i will skip dinner tonight and ship your equipment today.
( thats where they started to get rude.)

me: yes i did send it when i said i was okay with waiting. it's in my outbox.

them: I did not get that message from my mate and if your ok with waiting then why would you ask me if i shipped it yet?
But we will put it into the mail today.

me: i was, but i would like to know why it would take so long if i paid for it?

them: My mate and i just had a mis carriage and we have to pay for it, not to mention our electricity almost got cut off. So I had no choice but to use some of the shipping money you had sent for your commission to help pay for it. I was going to pay for it and send it once i got my check. But it will be shipped today or Monday at the latest . Im sorry again for the delay. I assure you we will not have another miscarriage.
(EXTREMELY rude now)

me: im truly sorry that you have problems, but i paid for it and honestly thats all my money should've gone to.

them: Without our electricity on i could not have completed the work, thank you so much for letting us mourn the loss of our unborn son your such a kind and understanding person.
(that really annoyed me. completely unprofessional)

a while later them: I just read your journal and your right your payment should have gone to your order im sorry to make you wait so long.

now i dont think i handled this too well, but what do you think and how could i have handled it better? i told them that i was okay with waiting but that the only problem i had was with the attitude and that i look forward to receiving the items;

"that is fine. the only problem i had was that you had an attitude about it.

i do not appreciate getting an attitude by someone i paid to do a job.

I look forward to see my items soon, my partner gave me the money for them as a gift and im very excited to wear the collar from her. "

I feel bad because they were having problems, and i understand. I guess i was to unsympathetic because i'm crabby? just looking for advice so i can handle this better and be nicer next time. also i dont know if this could be considered a beware so i will give the username if i am told that it can be considered one.

Edit 1: user is pollypuma, Here is a screencap for proof; http://www.iaza.com/work/110726C/iaza12206146228500.png

Edit 2: I have received the items today, and WAS given a tracking number not too long after i originally posted this.

This is resolved, but i really wont recommend the artist if you cant handle attitude. The fur lining of the collar is already falling off and i will have to ask a friend to help replace it 8/

edit 3: now the user posted a journal and sent a note asking me to have it removed. http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2564913/

The user is being continuously rude to me and badmouthing me on furaffinity as well as his 'mate'; http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2564913/ http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2565333/ screencaps have been taken in case the user deletes them before i can show my partner (they've been wanting to take their chances and order a collar from them because they like mine other than the glued fur problem) and  save just in case i need them in the future.

Edit 4: I would like to clarify that the only issue i had was the users attitude. Not the fact that they brought their personal life into it, as i had asked a question. the first thing that really annoyed me and was extremely unprofessional was this "I assure you that we will not have another miscarriage." If the user had simply left that and many other remarks out then i would have been much more sympathetic. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth when someone uses a tragedy to make their customers feel bad about asking about their items.
I commission very often and i have nothing but patience. Another user i had commissioned missed many deadlines with me, but kept me updated and was very polite, therefore i was nothing but polite and patient. As long as I am updated and met with a professional (or even friendly) attitude then all is fine. I may seem to have high expectations, but this is a business relationship and i do not expect any less than i would if i go to a store and ask for assistance.

Edit 5; the user is bashing me now and has been reported on FA. I have tried to remain calm for the most part and hope i did not lose my temper. It seems that the stress has gotten to pollypuma and i will highly recommend one does not commission this artist to avoid such 'drama' and other problems; http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/683/wwwfuraffinitynetjourna.png/

Thanks,

Blue

Comments

[felonykat.livejournal.com]

It seems like at least 75% of people (if not more) I see taking commissions are doing so giving the reason they need the money with some sob story or another of how they lost their job or health issue or issue with their pet or what have you, the list is endless. Guilt and pity seem to be the norm with doing business in the online art world as a sales tactic, so guess this person figured it was okay to relate their life issues as a valid excuse. When nearly losing their electricity wasn't garnering enough time from not having to deal with you, this guy gives his 'mate's' miscarriage as the reason. While that is a horrible thing to have happen, my skeptical nature would leave me wondering if that was a lie or not, mostly due to have dealing with people who fake illness to get their way over the years.

Their behavior was unprofessional in that the way they gave responses (frankly I find any sob story as tacky, guilt tripping and unacceptable where purchases are made), and as you admitted your own responses weren't so polite either. My advice should you come across another rude individual is to try and stay polite yourself and not stoop to their level. You want your product that you paid for after all and in the best quality so try not to give them a reason to wish to deny you that or take longer. Don't give into their guilt trips or excuses, tell them you can wait (if you can) but request a reasonable deadline. If they miss this deadline without a word then politely ask the status of what you purchased.

[demon-merageshu.livejournal.com]

Ok, I am the "mate" in all this. Yes, we had a miscarriage earlier in the week. Polly has spoke with the client about his collar about being shipped on the first and the client was fine with it (this was before the miscarriage). Due to continuous notes from this client, Polly felt as though he was pushing for his collar to be sent out. Sadly, this whole could have been dealt with and words chosen a bit wiser. However, the product had been sent out before schedule and this could have been discussed among the two instead of brought up in a post.

[poizenkat.livejournal.com]

I sent ONE note asking for an update. ONE note. All i needed was a simple update, not a guilt trip. I am not a horrible person for trying to ask for an update on my items. The items were paid for by my partner as a gift and i was very excited to receive them. i did not ask for an update to harass or pester Polly, I asked because i was curious as to how my items were doing and if there was any update on weather they would take much longer or not.

If it was such an issue then Polly should have told me so in a polite manner. I did not realize he had posted a journal about it. As the customer it is not my business to chase after the user for an update, therefore i would not have realized that the user posted a journal about it.

[felonykat.livejournal.com]

Pushy clients can be annoying, but it isn't really good business to get so personal in the reason why something is being delayed. It also isn't really good business to be rude in statements meant to make the client feel guilty for your personal issues.

Your electricity was going to be turned off, do you think the electric company would be sympathetic to waiting longer because you just didn't have the money? Or further still because of a personal family tragedy? No, they would not, nor would other places of business. I don't get why people treat taking art commissions any different, especially those like you and your husband who depend on the money earned as part of regular income for paying bills and the like.

The OP was a bit impatient, but mostly in regards to getting information about what was going on with what he paid for. He didn't demand you ship the item immediately, though he made you 'feel' like he was. I'll give you the same advice as him and not become rude even if the client seems to be. Also you don't need to get so detailed with anyone, especially for a simple update. As it wasn't taking a long time for you to ship and you were making contact, you didn't need to give any explination other than "it will be shipped out on the first".

This is a valid beware as it deals with customer relations, but it has been marked resolved since an apology was issued. If I was in need of a collar or anything else you and Polly offer, this entry would not deter me from considering commissioning you all as it deals with customer relations and this is the only entry in regards to you both.